To close out Black Music Month—which is also Caribbean American Heritage Month—let us not forget that a Caribbean-American Justice sits on the U.S. Supreme Court. President Joe Biden mentioned the justice in his 2021 Caribbean American Heritage Month proclamation: “Today, path breakers like Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor continue advancing our work toward a more perfect Union.”
Sunday is Justice Sotomayor’s birthday: She was born on June 25, 1954, in The Bronx, New York City. It’s a city which is also home to a wide array of Afro Latin music and musicians. I’ve followed her career for years, read her biography, and know that she is a jazz fan. But she also dances salsa!
With that in mind, let’s listen (and dance) to some of the music she grew up with, and to a piece of music created in her honor!
RELATED STORY: Put on those dancing shoes and celebrate the Afro-Boricua soul of salsa
Black Music Sunday is a weekly series highlighting all things Black music. With over 160 stories (and counting) covering performers, genres, history, and more, each featuring its own vibrant soundtrack, I hope you’ll find some familiar tunes and perhaps an introduction to something new.